'First Day at Work' Oh Se-hoon Faces Numerous Issues Including COVID-19 Response and Small Business Support: "Will Address Shortcomings"

Oh Se-hoon "Although my term is just over a year, I will do my best to address shortcomings"
Support for small business owners and self-employed must be specified... Cooperation from City Council and autonomous districts is essential
Significant overhaul expected in projects and organizations promoted by Seoul City

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is heading to his office after arriving at Seoul City Hall on the morning of the 8th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Starting his official schedule with a visit to the National Cemetery, newly appointed Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is expected to focus on reorganizing Seoul, which has experienced a mayoral vacancy for about nine months, and addressing pressing issues. Having taken over the Seoul city administration for a term of 1 year and 3 months through a by-election, he is set to devote full efforts from the outset to COVID-19 prevention, vaccination, and support for small business owners facing difficulties, while also likely to overhaul the projects and organization associated with the ‘Park Won-soon’ administration.

At the welcoming event held at 8:50 a.m. on the 8th on the first floor of Seoul City Hall, Mayor Oh said, “Although my term is just over a year after winning the by-election, I will work to improve and change the shortcomings,” adding, “I will strive to help Seoul citizens who are struggling due to COVID-19 and economic hardships.”

The most urgent issue Mayor Oh must address first, under the election slogan ‘Skillful from Day One,’ is managing COVID-19 prevention and vaccination. With daily new confirmed cases nationwide nearing 700 and Seoul’s cases surpassing 200 again, concerns about a ‘fourth wave’ are growing. Particularly, strong management is needed to control cluster infections spreading through religious facilities and indoor sports centers.

Vaccination for 6.06 million people must be completed by the end of October. As of the 6th, the vaccination rate among Seoul citizens aged 18 and over is about 2.6% (first dose) of the target population. Since vaccinations for 4.11 million people, accounting for 68% of the total target, will begin in July, it is urgent to secure about 3,500 entrusted medical institutions. On his first day at work, Mayor Oh plans to visit the ‘Seoul City’s 1st Vaccination Center’ located in the auditorium of Seongdong District Office, which opened on the 1st, to encourage frontline medical staff and check the center’s operations.

Additionally, support for small business owners and self-employed individuals struggling due to COVID-19 needs to be more specific. Previously, Seoul City announced a plan to provide 500 billion won in ‘Crisis Overcoming Disaster Relief Funds’ in cooperation with 25 autonomous districts. Mayor Oh is expected to listen to voices from related organizations such as the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business Owners and Self-Employed, which expressed concerns about his small business support pledges, and swiftly implement his campaign promises to reset ‘sector-specific social distancing measures’ and provide loan guarantees up to 100 million won to self-employed individuals with no collateral, no interest, no guarantee, and no paperwork.

He also faces the challenging task of securing cooperation from the City Council and autonomous districts. Since 101 out of 109 city council members and 24 out of 25 district heads belong to the Democratic Party of Korea, cooperation is essential. Although Mayor Oh has announced a sweeping change to alter 171 out of 229 major policies promoted by former Mayor Park Won-soon over the past decade, the process is expected to be far from smooth.

Nonetheless, the prevailing view is that the projects and organization pursued by Seoul City after Mayor Oh’s inauguration are likely to undergo significant changes. With the presidential and local elections lined up next year, noticeable achievements are urgently needed. First, there is a high possibility of a major reshuffle of senior officials, including first and second-grade executives who have led Seoul’s administration. In 2011, five out of six first-grade officials and many second-grade officials left Seoul City.

Furthermore, Mayor Oh is expected to undertake a large-scale organizational restructuring to realize his key pledges such as speedy housing supply, speedy transportation, and balanced regional development. There is speculation that ongoing projects like the Gwanghwamun restructuring and urban regeneration might be halted aside from the existing housing supply plans. A Seoul City official said, “Since there is no transition committee, we are reviewing policies that can be implemented within the 1 year and 3 months term,” adding, “Significant changes to projects and organization seem inevitable.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon arrived at Seoul City Hall on the morning of the 8th and signed the office handover document. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.